MAGNA, Utah — Magna’s historic Empress Theatre is flipping the script on a popular musical with a cast that might surprise you.
The production is Disney’s “Descendants" which follows the teenage kids of famous villains and heroes as they figure out who they want to become. But the theatre’s version adds a different twist: every actor in the cast is 45 or older.
“We’ve had a lot of people question why we would do ‘Descendants,’ why would we go toward a senior show, and we’re like, ‘well, because people like to act at all ages,’" Candice Jorgensen, the production’s artistic director said.
One of those actors is Diana Sorensen, who is returning to the stage after years focused on her family. “I was in theater in junior high and high school. I really enjoyed it,” Sorensen said. "I got married and started having children. Being a mom, you sacrifice the things you want to do for your children."
She added, “It’s been a while for me, so I’m having to go way back in the files of my brain and recall what that was like for me.”
Other actors like Amy Hallett, who hadn’t been on stage in 30 years, say they are rediscovering that same spark.
“It has been so much fun getting to be a teenager again. Evie, the character I play, is a little bit of a flirt, and so that is so much fun for me to be able to lean into that,” Hallett, who’s also a preschool teacher, said.
For some, like actor James Hutchings, it never really went away. Hutchings, who works in robotics and automation, says he has always built theatre sets in his spare time.
"If you ask people I work with or live with, they’ll tell you that I haven’t grown up anyway,” actor Hutchings said through a laugh. "So, 13 to 16 is where I am. I love being able to just play and let out what I’d do anyway.”
The Empress Theatre typically puts on nine shows each year — including musicals, a teen production, a children’s show, a family-friendly show, and plays. This year, they’re trying something a little different with a senior show, according to the production’s marketing director, Kylee Larsen.
Disney’s “Descendants” runs now through May 23 at The Empress Theatre, located at 9104 W. 2700 S. in Magna.
“We’re just living our best teenage lives in our 40s and 50s and above, so it’s been awesome,” Hallett said.
A sensory-friendly show is set for May 16. A sing-along performance is set for May 21. Find more information and tickets at empresstheatre.com.
